


Connor Conquers his Fear of Spiders

by orphan_account



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: ///, Angst with a Happy Ending, Connor does have a fear of spiders, F/F, F/M, Kara and Connor never met, Multi, Slow Burn, Virus, Zlatko is still alive and doing well, alice is human, everything still happens but:, i guess, i think, its just not what the story is about, misleading title, not really - Freeform, oh fffuck, so fuck the canon, this is a mess to explain
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-15
Updated: 2018-07-15
Packaged: 2019-06-10 22:53:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15301827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Connor fears a lot of things. Some rational, human fears- like spiders, or very closed spaces. Others he had were being replaced or forgotten, but Hank told him that they were just irrational thoughts that he shouldn't have been afraid of.And for a while, Connor believed him.That is, until he meets a mother at the scene of a crime and befriends her. After she introduces him to a problem kept under wraps, everything changes. And, as time goes on, he finds that some of his "irrational" fears weren't so crazy after all.





	Connor Conquers his Fear of Spiders

Ever since deviants got the right to coexist among humans, owners have started shutting down some establishments running only because androids were doing everything against their will- seeing as none of them wanting to do it anymore. Applying the same logic to all the jobs just like it, Connor assumed that the Eden Club of all places would've been shut down as soon as possible for the same reason.

But when another sex addict was found dead in the buzzing nightclub, and he was one of the people in on the investigation, he was quickly reminded that there were just some jobs that some people enjoyed doing.

He remembered when it used to be easy. Well- relatively easy. When all he had to do was spot the one android that was showing a bit too much emotion to be considered an android. Now, with everyone being deviant, finding the one responsible for the killing would be a lot harder.

He arrived at the scene alone. It was almost midnight when he was called in, and there was no way in hell he was waking up his grumpy bastard of a partner to help him. He did his normal crime scene routine, doing things he would normally get yelled at for doing all while taking a look around the place in search of anything suspicious. After giving up his knowledge of the victim to a fellow coworker- strangled to death by an android, just like many had been- Connor did what he thought was the smart thing to do and checked out the area. More specifically, the staff-only sections.

Last time he investigated, the killers were just hiding in there.

He supposed it wouldn't hurt to check.

The door was luckily unlocked. He pushed his way to the inside, wincing when he heard something knock over on the other side.

The staff-only section was mostly empty. Connor scanned the room, and was very surprised to find something he didn't notice just seconds before.

There was a little girl. She looked lost- very upset- clinging to a stuffed animal as if it was beneficial to her survival. When he approached, she gasped, staring at him with wide eyes.

"Hello. My name is Connor." He started calmly, "I'm with the DPD, and I think it would be great if you could help me out."

She was silent.

"I need to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."

"Why?" Her voice gave away that she had been crying earlier.

He could sense her stress levels skyrocketing. And while she wasn't at risk of hurting herself, being human and all, Connor still had to make sure that she was as calm as possible. He decided to take a subtle step forward, hands raised to show her that he was unarmed and harmless.

"Calm down." He attempted to voice his concern, "I'm asking everyone here, as well as checking their memory to see if they spotted anything suspicious without knowing it."

"Checking their memory?"

"I guess it only works with androids." He explained sheepishly.

"I'm not an android." She said, voice almost too quiet. "I didn't do anything wrong."

"I didn't say you did."

"Then why are you questioning me?"

"I have to make sure I'm not missing anything." His eyes narrowed, "Besides, you're... young. How'd you even get here? Does your mother know you're here?"

"N-No."

_She's very stressed for someone who is supposed to be innocent._

Connor stepped closer again.

"I'll escort you back- I'm sure the other officers have a phone you can use to call your mom with."

"Please don't."

He raised a brow.

"You're too young to be here-"

She screamed when he got too close. Though shocked, he took a couple of steps back, hands raised in the air as if it'd show his innocence towards anyone walking in.

He didn't expect to be shoved.

And if he did somehow expect to be shoved, he would've thought that the one shoving him would be the person he was interrogating, and not someone coming out of a hiding spot that he wasn't aware of.

He hated to admit that he was caught off guard by the new opponent- along with the serious case of deja vu.

But when he got back to his feet to spot his attacker was, he stumbled a bit when he realized that she... didn't work there. She didn't look like any of the models working there- though he that could've been because she wanted to work there. What tipped him off was that, while everyone in the establishment was permitted to wear some skimpy outfit along with a little too much makeup, this one sported an outfit that was puffy and made to combat the cold- not a single trace of makeup on her face.

She didn't work there.

So why was she in a staff-only section?

He didn't have long to ponder. She took a quick glance at the girl, back at him, and started to run. Connor followed her lead only seconds later.

Even during a murder investigation, the club's music boomed on full volume. He could feel something in his chest thumping the more he ran, and that mixed with the slightly annoying music only encouraged him forward.

When he got close- apparently, too close- he got slowed down. One of the many androids dancing on the stripper poles had extended her leg and kicked him away, almost knocking him over completely. He got back up of course, but he couldn't help but get the feeling that it wasn't just an accident.

He still couldn't believe that she made it out of there. All of his other colleagues seemed particularly disinterested by the chase scene, and Connor made sure to shoot a dirty look at one of them before going outside as well.

Nobody followed him.

He heard the sound of something bumping into the dumpster in the alley right beside the club.

Cautiously and quietly, he turned the corner.

She appeared out if fucking nowhere. Connor snapped something when she showed up- possibly a swear word- but it didn't help. She grabbed his wrists in an attempt to pin him, but he acted quickly, kicking her and sending her on to the floor.

"Oh, uh... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"

He got knocked over, faceplanting into the wet pavement.

She didn't waste time pinning him. She had a knife this time, and while he couldn't feel any sort of physical pain, he could confidently say that he didn't need an expert to know that she stabbed his arm a couple of times, leaving the knife in his shoulder. It didn't hit any important biocomponents, but that didn't stop his vision from going red, stating that it was dangerously close to piercing something important.

When his vision cleared, he was alone.

By the time he returned, walking in the club with a limp and bleeding arm, the little girl was gone.

__________

"Kara!"

"Alice!"

The embrace was enough to make Kara's stress levels go down drastically.

"I thought you were going to..."

"Shh- it's okay. I'm here now. There's nothing to worry about."

"I'm sorry, I-"

"It's okay. It's okay. Let's get out of the rain, you must be freezing cold.."

The two ran hand-in-hand, planning on stopping near one of the abandoned Cyberlife stores in search of shelter.

________

Connor didn't return until much later- almost 9 in the morning.

"How'd it go?" Hank called from the couch, having heard him come in.

"Great." He put the keys on the counter, "I walked there, so you have nothing to worry about... car-wise."

"Did the killer get caught?"

"I said it went great." He reminded, maybe a little too harshly. "The killer got caught, and the victim is going to get a proper burial."

"Hm." Hank didn't seem too interested, even after Connor snapped at him- which made him feel uneasy. If there was one person that wouldn't tolerate an attitude like that, it was him.

Maybe it was still too early.

"I'm sorry I didn't ask you to come with." He apologized.

"Wouldn't have wanted to anyway. Last time I was there, I spent way too much money." He blew air out of his nose, almost smiling at the memory.

_Mission failed._

"I need to recharge."

"How long you were out?"

"Not long." A lie, but one he could get away with, "Good night, Hank."

When he heard a scoff, he left for the empty broom closet he usually recharged in, closing his eyes once he was inside.

Androids didn't sleep. Recharging was the closest thing they'd ever get to sleeping, and yet it didn't last very long. 2, maybe 3 hours of charging would lead them to function for a full day.

They didn't sleep like humans did, and yet, they dreamed. Some had a brief summary of their memories shown to them, and in rare cases chose what they wanted to see. Connor had neither.

Connor used to spend his time talking to Amanda's garden to prep for missions- but ever since she left, it's been... unsettling. Quiet. Ever since Amanda left, he'd go to recharge, and get stuck in what seemed to be a never-ending snowstorm in the place that used to be the zen garden. He would spend his time in one spot, shaking and shivering, feeling every imaginary snowflake that fell on to him.

Any attempts to leave would pause his charging. He learned long ago that pausing the charging wouldn't make anything better, stress him out until the point where he'd shut down until further notice, and something told him that he would rather not have that happening.

So he sucked it up, so to say. 2 hours a day, spent sitting and collecting his thoughts all while a snowstorm raged around him.

_________

The second time they saw each other, it wasn't because of a crime scene.

"I'm hungry, Kara."

"How about... we take a break from granola bars and go get some fast food?"

"Where would you get that kind of money?" Alice asked, voice barely above its usual whisper. Hearing it brought a smile to her lips.

"We aren't out of money or food just yet- we can treat ourselves to something better for just one night."

"You mean you would treat me."

"Knowing that you're enjoying your food is enough for me." She assured, ruffling her hair.

They stopped by a food truck. And while Kara could sense that it was a little... sketchy, she could say that she was definitely pleased to see that she got a bigger serving than she expected. After thanking them and paying, she sat underneath a table with a nice umbrella.

"I don't think I can eat all of that," Alice warned cautiously.

"I'll cut in half, save some for later. How does that sound."

The look on Alice's face could've been brighter than the sun.

Knowing that even half of the burger would last her a while, Kara made a mental note to ask for a smaller size next time- if it was possible. Maybe it would cost less.

________

Connor did a better job at hiding the stab wounds than he thought. They didn't hurt, but they leaked thirium, and he had to bandage it so that it would heal on its own- a feature he was glad to have, as he didn't even know if Hank owned the necessary tools to cauterize them.

He thought that the shiny, silvery tape he used would get noticed in an instant.

"I'm going to get something to eat. I've been sitting in this damn house for too long."

Apparently not.

"I heard it's lovely this time of year." Connor piped up, reluctantly moving a sleeping dog from his lap.

"Oh yeah?"

"45°- really windy, and... there's a chance that it could hail."

"Perfect."

"You should bring an umbrella."

Hank seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Nah."

"If you get pelted by ice, I'm going to laugh at you." He warned.

"The tables have umbrellas on them. I think I'll be fine."

"You aren't supposed to take them, Hank. You'll get hurt on the way to your car, and there is a very high chance that I'll be _laughing at you the entire time_."

"What, you're coming with me?"

"I thought that was already established."

"Then you can bring the umbrella for me."

"I'm not doing it for you, Hank. If I bring one, it'll be for me to use."

Hank, probably sensing that Connor was bluffing the entire time, scoffed and walked out of the door. The android tailed far behind, saying his goodbyes to Sumo before he left.

________

He didn't notice the girls until long after they both sat down, once the light conversation was dwindling, and Connor found himself searching his surroundings for something entertaining.

Once he did notice, however, his hair was almost glued on to their table. He saw the little girl, and the back of the mom's head.

"Connor, what the fuck are you doing?"

Maybe he was staring a bit too long. He forced his expression to go from something intense to something more... bitter. In an attempt to relax.

"It's her." The response came out quickly- and was loud enough for them to hear.

When the little girl made eye contact with him, and the mom was notified of the strange man glaring at them, she turned around as well. Blue eyes met with brown, and didn't break for the longest time.

The two jumped up and took off running, leaving all of their trash behind.

Which was also _illegal_ , as well as a choking hazard for any curious animals.

Connor jumped up not much later.

"Connor, where the hell are you going?" He demanded.

"I'm going to neutralize them." Hank recognized what the red on his LED indicated. "I advise you to stay out of my way."

"I'm coming with you."

"Come on, then. We're wasting time."

Connor ran faster than Hank, as was expected when a lazy old man tried keeping up with an android specifically built to hunt things down.

The chase didn't last long. Connor watched them hop over a chainlink fence, and dip down, out of sight. When he caught up, he peered over the edge, watching them slowly cross the busy highway.

His arm was grabbed.

"Don't. Even try." Hank warned, obviously out of breath, "You'll never make it to the other side. Hell, I doubt they even stand a chance."

"I can't take that chance."

He started up the fence, but got pulled down again.

"Hey- you will get yourself killed!"

Connor sighed.

The two started to walk back to the car-

Until Connor spun around again, sprinting back towards the chainlink fence in a last, hurried escape attempt. Maybe being around the android for as long as he did had given the old man the ability to know when he was about to make stupid decisions because, by the time he reached it and prepared to jump over, a hand grabbed his arm and pulled him away. Hank turned him around, arm slung around his shoulders, and forcefully lead him towards the car.

The grip loosened once the door opened, and Connor got inside.

"You don't need to catch her today."

"I was so close, Hank. I could've caught her."

"Look, Connor, I don't need you running around like you're invincible or some shit. You'll get her next time, just let her go."

A pause. When Connor seemed to say nothing, Hank continued.

"Who was she, anyway?"

Connor hesitated.

"When I... investigated the death at the Eden Club just a few nights ago, I was attacked. By a deviant and her... human child."

"You were attacked?"

Connor held up the arm with the multiple stab wound embedded, only showing the part of his hand that was still wrapped in some form of duct tape. He knew it should've healed by now, leaving an ugly scar in its wake, but he wanted to leave it on just in case.

"She caught me by surprise, and managed to escape."

"I thought you said you had it all under control."

"I said that the situation was handled," Connor said, voice low from the sudden anger bubbling in his chest.

"That doesn't look handled."

"I assure you, Hank. It is. The killer was caught, and detained until further notice."

He had everything under control. He knew he did.

"And yet, you almost got yourself killed because you let some girl-"

"She caught me by surprise!" He exploded, throwing his hands up while glaring at him, "It wasn't my fault! If I had a better understanding I-"

"Hey, hey!" Hank yelled over him, as if it was a contest to see who was louder.

Connor got the hint, slumping angrily in his seat until he calmed down. His stress levels were unusually high.

He forced himself to relax.

"I was just providing facts. I'm sorry, Hank."

"It's fine."

Despite the quiet heavy metal playing from the stereo, the rest of the ride home was completely silent.

And he really did try to relax. But unbeknownst to him, his stress levels stayed in the mid-70s for the remainder of the drive- along with Connor's LED flashing an angry red.

_________

Another wonderful Sunday afternoon, all spent at the park with an android he was just now getting along with.

Markus, the peaceful leader of the revolution.

He couldn't remember where their conversation was at before the question was asked, or even if he mentioned his infamous mission mode, but once it was out there Connor had to pause for the longest time to think of an explanation.

"It's..." He pressed his lips into a thin line, "Whenever I'm in... _mission mode_... I get really ...focused on something, and my stress levels rise high enough for me to be very aware of my surroundings. I think it was made to help me whenever I was chasing or tracking down deviants."

"And now that you aren't?" Markus asked, and Connor could see that he was genuinely interested.

"It gets activated whenever I'm chasing or hunting down criminals, or if I'm really set on doing something. Which is annoying since it's hard to turn off, but I can learn to live with it."

"Is there any way to..."

He didn't let him finish, cutting her off with a, "No."

"Have you ever wanted to?"

He thought back to his most recent mission mode incident, and how all that stress had caused him to lash out at Hank.

"Yeah." He muttered, "Sometimes."

________

Nothing is scarier than change.

After months of closing his eyes to recharge and finding himself in the middle of a snowstorm, Connor was more than apprehensive when he closed his eyes one night and opened to find himself in a new environment. More specifically, one that almost resembled the zen garden he started out with. Maybe apprehensive wasn't the right word here. Maybe there was another word to describe how... emotional he was when he realized that he was no longer in the blizzard. But for the sake of his dignity, he brushed it off as nerves.

Despite his feelings, he picked himself up, and began to explore the area. A big relief was that there was no sign of Amanda, who'd usually show up right around now to chastise how he decided to handle a situation.

No Amanda.

No snowstorm.

Where was he?

A glitch, he concluded. This was just a glitch. He opened his eyes, waited a few seconds, and closed it again to start charging again.

And at first, it was the snow storm. But he watched with his own eyes as the snow swirled up and out of sight, leaving a nicer scenery in its wake. He was just a few yards from a cliff overlooking the sun setting on the horizon. He didn't have the time to look at the pink sky or other warm colors painting the setting.

Someone was sitting on the edge.

It obviously wasn't Amanda. Despite obvious physical appearances, this stranger wore-

A nice winter coat.

_Blonde hair, winter coat..._

"Hey!"

When she turned and revealed her face, his heart froze. His assumptions had been correct.

His eyes snapped open, and he was yet again met with the darkness of the closet he hid in. He closed it and, instead of finding himself in the middle of a snowstorm, he was back in the same spot. This time, the woman was closer, slowly advancing towards him as he struggled to back up.

"What are _you_ doing here?" She snapped.

"You're the one that..." his voice faltered upon looking at his hand. It was fine.

And then he saw his hand glitch. As if he were a hologram.

"You're the one that scared Alice."

"...Alice?" He faced her again.

"My daughter." She scowled. "I don't know what you think you're doing here, but I suggest that you leave. Now."

He straightened his expression, going to fix his tie and furrowing his eyebrows when he couldn't find it. He tried clasping his hands together, but even then his hands couldn't touch each other.

"If I knew what I was doing here, I wouldn't be talking to you."

"Gee, thanks."

He paused.

"What were you doing at the Eden Club the night that man was murdered?"

She spun around, angry expression still not dropped from her face. "What?"

"The night I saw you. You do know that someone was murdered there?"

"How could I not notice?"

"I need to ask what you were doing there."

"Didn't you catch the killer already?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you want to know."

"Something... didn't sit right with me. It's hard to explain."

"So?"

He scowled.

"You stabbed me, I think I deserve some kind of explanation."

"You chased my daughter and I down the street while we were eating.

"You stabbed me." He repeated.

"Look, guy-"

"My name is Connor."

"Lovely. Listen... Connor... I don't think I have anything important to say."

"I'll take anything at this point."

She sighed.

"I don't work there. A friend told me that something weird was happening to her friends that worked there, and asked me to check it out."

"Something weird?" He pressed, "Weird like how?"

"Well, you saw. Some of them are getting more and more violent. Androids I thought were sweet are killing and it's... they disappear right after." She gestured towards him, "Other than the one you caught."

"And you're withholding this because..?"

"It's just a hunch- and I was chased out before I could find anything."

Normally nice deviants turning violent. He had something he could work with.

"Great. Thank you- I'll finally have something to look for."

"Whoa whoa whoa- my friend asked me to look into it."

"Listen, I've only known you for a while now, but something is telling me that you are not qualified."

"And yet, I know the most about the situation. I have more facts, which make me more qualified."

His eyes narrowed. He needed to think of a compromise- was a negotiator for RA9's sake.

"Let's make a deal. Work together."

"What?"

"We can team up. Find out what's going on and put a stop to it."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Team up." She repeated.

"We can meet at the Eden Club tonight to check it out. I promise, no chasing this time."

"How do I know that you'll be there? Alone?"

"If this is ever going to work out, you're going to have to meet me halfway and trust me."

"I don't." She deadpanned.

"Just trust me. Okay? I promise."

Her hand went right through his. For the sake of the situation, they both raised and lowered it, as if their hands were actually locked together.

"So." He let go, finally able to take in his surroundings, "Mind telling me your name?"

 


End file.
